New Teams are Calling; Dubas on Penguins Trade Talks, Free Agency (+)

BUFFALO — In the elevator banks away from the rushing media people and in the path of NHL draft prospects finishing their final interviews and some workouts, Pittsburgh Hockey Now and one other outlet spoke with Penguins president of hockey operations/GM Kyle Dubas Friday at the NHL Scouting Combine at Lecom Harbour.

NHL scouts and general managers spent the week in Buffalo meeting and observing the prospects in advance of the NHL Draft on June 27 and 28 in Los Angeles.

The ground rule for the conversation, to which PHN easily agreed, was that new coach Dan Muse was off limits because Dubas will speak at Muse’s introductory press conference next week.

Without his trademark rectangular glasses, Dubas fielded questions on his strategy for the coming free agency period, his crop of restricted free agents, and the most talked-about summer issue, the trade winds surrounding his veteran players.

Interestingly, he didn’t shy away from the latter.